My Pride And Joy
I get it. That is to say, I understand that there is a distinct possibility that Buffy the Vampire Slayer may not be the most awesome television series in the history of this planet. I mean, I know that could potentially be true. However, in my heart and mind, it’s just not the case.
Now, when I first stumbled onto Buffy somewhere during its second season, it wasn’t particularly clear that it would stick with me. I mean, at the time I barely tolerated sci-fi, and my vampire exploits were limited to The Lost Boys and The Vampire Chronicles.
Decades later, though I still love The Lost Boys, I’ve moved past Anne Rice’s novels to sample a wide variety of vampire lore. More importantly, I’ve come to love science fiction, fantasy, and a ton of other kinds of nerdy entertainment. These days, I purposefully seek out the next genre offering with high hopes, and much of the different flavors I consume are added to my list of favorite stories.
Still, I find myself set in my beliefs that there’s nothing quite like Buffy.
Like a good Whedonite, I spread the word to anyone who will listen – and if you’re already a convert, my eyes light up when I realize the connection we share.
For years, I’ve tried to get some of the most important people of my life to join me in my worship of Buffy (or, even better, the Whedonverse as a whole). I’ve had varied success, but with the increased accessibility Hulu and Netflix have brought to not only Buffy, but also Angel, Firefly, and Dollhouse, I’m finally getting some real traction.
The thing is, I accept that it’s nuts. But the simple truth is that we all hope that people love what we love – and that the people we like best can share our passions. Not too long ago, a coworker got hooked on Buffy. Like a parent experiencing life anew through their child’s eyes, I’ve gotten to live through Buffy all over again when I catch up with my newfound friend. It may be silly, but as I’ve fallen further in love with all manner of geekery, I’ve actually realized there’s no decent reason to hide my nerdy ways! In fact, I’m finding it a lot more fun to put it on display and see who comes out to join me.
Recently, my favorite person in the world – who over the years has gotten “the gist” of Buffy due to unavoidable exposure from proximity – committed to watching the series from the very beginning. Like the Grinch’s heart growing three sizes, so has mine as we finally explore this world together! In the end, whether it’s loved or reviled, I can’t express the gratitude I feel for being able to examine this world with someone who I already share so much of my life with.
Being a Whedonite is being a part of a fun, smart group of people who value creative storytelling at its finest. Should Joss never make another series again, we already have mounds of shows and movies and comic books to supplement all of the other great geektastic stuff out there – that, in at least a case or two, may not have even found its way to audiences without the influence the success of Buffy the Vampire Slayer has had on pop culture.
If you’ve read this far and still haven’t tried BTVS, I’m hoping I’ve piqued your interest. At seven seasons, it may be a big time investment – but obviously I believe it’s well worth it!
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Have you ever watched? Do you share the love? If you’re a newbie interested in learning more: I’m a Slayerette… Ask me how. 
I get it.
If you try to write out the concept for the show, it sounds ridiculous, and in fact when I sat down to watch the premiere episode of Buffy, I expected it to suck. I’d seem the movie and it sucked, but I wanted to see who thought the idea of taking that crap movie and making it a TV show was a good one.
So boy was I shocked how much I liked it and how quickly I was pulled into it. Somehow, Joss knew what he was doing and I’ve seldom been disappointed by his product.
Just started watching episode one on Hulu in the background of work stuff. Forgot how amazing this show is!! And I also feel like I’m in high school again. Win-win.
I want to marry this post.